ATC SCM100, A little over 20k, but they're oh so good. your Pass Labs amps would sound great with them/1
With $20,000 in your hand, what speaker would you
I've recently gone into retirement. I am a 52-year-old diehard audiophile. I've had just about every statement level speaker the American market has offered over the last 10 to 15 years. The speaker I have found the most satisfying overall is my presently owned modified pair of Maggie 3.6R. I've also had their 20s and started with the Mg 3A. for my second favorite speaker I would have to pick the Avalon radian HC, and not the Eidolon( I had problems with the ceramic midrange distorting with dynamic vocals and the base was not perfect). I had dozens and dozens of conventional and electrostatic speakers so many I could bore you with the list. So let's just say I've been around the block a few times.
Let's assume that I made no mistakes meeting the speakers with the proper equipment, power conditioning and acoustical environment treatment. I have been mostly a tube person but I switched over to the new passlabs equipment because I found that I am
the equivalent sound or better than my reference tube amplifiers, without the heartbreaking experience of blowing up and $2000 tube replacements.(As I said I am retired now, I can't afford the maintenance fees anymore.
What I'm asking of my fellow audiophiles that have been listening with reference great audio systems is that they e-mail me back and give me their opinion on what conventional loudspeaker they would own if they had say $20,000 or so to spend(20,000 retail). Semi-full range down to say 35 Hz or so.
I'm going to keep the Maggies but, they don't feel the need when it comes to wanting a more compact/dynamic speaker that I could also drive with my Belcanto SET. Although, they don't need to be ultra efficient.
I would really appreciate anybody's input, I would find all of your input invaluable in making my decision.
by the way what do you all think of the Grand Veena 3A speaker. Is it better than anything for under $20-$30,000?
Thank you very much for all of your help,
Regards,
Andrew
thanks again,
Andy
PS I am still keeping the Maggies.
Let's assume that I made no mistakes meeting the speakers with the proper equipment, power conditioning and acoustical environment treatment. I have been mostly a tube person but I switched over to the new passlabs equipment because I found that I am
the equivalent sound or better than my reference tube amplifiers, without the heartbreaking experience of blowing up and $2000 tube replacements.(As I said I am retired now, I can't afford the maintenance fees anymore.
What I'm asking of my fellow audiophiles that have been listening with reference great audio systems is that they e-mail me back and give me their opinion on what conventional loudspeaker they would own if they had say $20,000 or so to spend(20,000 retail). Semi-full range down to say 35 Hz or so.
I'm going to keep the Maggies but, they don't feel the need when it comes to wanting a more compact/dynamic speaker that I could also drive with my Belcanto SET. Although, they don't need to be ultra efficient.
I would really appreciate anybody's input, I would find all of your input invaluable in making my decision.
by the way what do you all think of the Grand Veena 3A speaker. Is it better than anything for under $20-$30,000?
Thank you very much for all of your help,
Regards,
Andrew
thanks again,
Andy
PS I am still keeping the Maggies.
185 responses Add your response
09-30-15: Bill_kGlad to hear that. I've heard both the Wilson Alexandria MkII and the XLF. For less than 1/13 the price of the XLF, I'd sure like to see what the Amazing Line Source can do. Sounds to me like it would be on the short list for massive symphonies, oratorias, cantatas, opera, and at the other end, vocal solos and ensembles. The thought of a speaker having the headroom to deliver distortion-free 120 dB crescendos really grabs my attention. |
09-27-15: Rodman99999Funny how this thread was revived almost 5 years to the day after the last post in 2010. Between the rave review in The Absolute Sound and a look at the technology, there may be a new contender at $15K that would compete with the 6-figure big boys--the Bob Carver Amazing Line Source. You could pocket $5K for cables and room treatment, or some nice listening chairs. I'd certainly love to hear them anyway. Bob Carver Corp. was bought by Jade (owner of Emotiva) in 2013, so I don't know if their products are stil made in Snohomish, Washington. If so, and if they have a factory showroom, maybe I could realistically audition them. |
Most likely, the only way I think I might ever really need speakers costing that much is if I am looking for something full range to run them off a flea powered SET amp or something along that line. Or if my room were really really big, like an auditorium. I'd probably go for very high efficiency horns along the line of Avantegarde or something similar, maybe Jadis Eurythmie. |
Not so fast, my friend. Not only will you need around 20-30 grand, minimum for appropriate electronics but also another 10-20 grand for cabling including power cords sufficient for the task. Add another 5-10 grand for room acoustics treatments and tweaks. Oh, and you should probably consider moving into a bigger place. |
I realize the OP is (likely) long gone (from this thread, hopefully not the planet) but feel a giddy need to answer anyway. I would select whichever speaker I could buy closest to $20k from Classic Audio Reproductions. Then sell whichever possessions I have to purchase best possible gear to source/drive them. |
Well, I could try big Soundlabs if I had another $20k for amps and much bigger room. Since I like Michael Green free resonance speakers, I would try to find his Chameleons. They are not made anymore, as far as I know, and should cost under $10k used, under $5k older ones. The man professionally tunes studios and performance halls, this requires quite an ear. |
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I have heard many fine speakers speakers since entering this hobby 45+ years ago. My top choice would be the Ascendo System Ms, They are considerably more new but under $20k used. Took me 10 years to afford and find a pair of these. Also consider MBL 111s or 101s, used of course but you need powerful amps to drive them. If your room is small look at Verity Parsifal Encores or some of there newer models. Happy hunting |
I own Magico S5's which are remarkably well balanced and coherent, fast and resolving & are great "all rounders". Engineering as expected is excellent. The Pass XA.8 and XS series amps are a great match & you can find S5's in premium gloss finish coming up on the 'Gon as low as $18k now. My 2 cents. |
Aether Audio's Revelation MR-2 Mk IV. The US retail price sits between $17,990 and $20,990, depending on the finish. http://aetheraudio.com/revelation_mr-2.html |
Larry if at $27K a pair of speakers doesn't floor you or everyone that hears them... the designer missed the mark and has lost perspective on value & performance. I'll go so far as to say the same thing for those speakers which sell for only $20K. .... ONLY.. 20 thousand.... rotflmao. it's gotta be that or the listener has unrealistic expectations. On third thought... nope... it's the speakers' designer. it can't be us... Can it? Of course not. Although nothing in this world is perfect, at and above 20K or even less, speakers at those levels MUST be honest to the source, and involve if not seduce the listener.... granted too if all else is in good order upstream. JMHO |
Update on the Magico speakers, the Model 2 and Model 3, which retail for $18k and $27K respectively. They are both excellent speakers. The 2, to my ear sounds a bit 'hooded' in the midrange, in that the harmonic structure sounds truncated or not as live as it should be. It simply didn't breathe the way that live music does. The 3's were a different story, much better. Remarkably, the Model 3's were open, alive and didn't constantly remind me that I was listening to good loudspeakers in the way that Wilsons and Avalons do. While the 3 is excellent, it can't get out of the way of the music enough to make me go into that other realm of listening, in which you're inside the recording. Again, falling back on previous statements, the MBL's and the Sound Labs both, to my ears, cross that barrier into a sense of realism that very few can or do. JMHO Larry |
Andy, Omnis are worth thinking about. At your stated price point, I'd suggest a used pair of MBL 101s. This is a different (and striking) sounding speaker. Some folks feel that they're acceptably neutral in balance, but they may also sound (to others) a bit mid bass heavy and forward through the presence region (as they do to me). If this is the case, consider a pre-amp with room correction (like the Integra pre-pro), and you'll still be about on-budget. If you're looking for a different flavor, this will provide it. Obviously, auditioning would be a good idea. A variation on the theme would be a biamped Ohm/subwoofer system like I use. The MBL is a more dramatic sounding system than the Ohm+subs, but it is more expensive and less neutral (IMHO). For your budget, MBLs (with or without correction) would seem to be appropriate. For my money, moving from the Ohms to the MBLs isn't really justifiable. I have thought about this one, but never quite pulled the trigger on the expenditure and doubt that I ever will. Marty |
Easy choice - Sound Lab U1s. Assuming you have the right electronics (great tube gear such as the right ARC or Atmasphere or VTL, etc amp and preamp) and you have the right room this is a no brainer. You will get outstanding deep, tight, bass, enormously realistic midrange - vocals will be in the room unlike anything you've heard before, and beautiful, delicate highs. You will get high definiton, transients, texture, detail, air, transparency, and precise imaging side to side and front to back. You will get the most amazing, realistically musical experience possible. Just make sure the room dimensions and treatments are as good as the speakers and electronics - at this level, the room is a huge factor in letting the gear do it's magic. (And of course you need a good source - analog and/or CD.) Ok, this system might stretch your budget a bit, but no sense in going 80% of the way. (If need be, you could scale down a SL model or two.) Let us know what you decide and how it goes. |
